Page 81 - Gonzaga at 60
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SERVICE IN ZAMBIA 2010
Ater travelling for several hours, we arrived in Lusaka, Zambia in the early hours of Saturday morning on the
27th March.
The irst thing I noiced was a disincive smell and of course, the humidity. While in Lusaka, we visited
the Neri Clinic which is an Irish run charity that has been supported by Gonzaga College SJ. This is a very busy
clinic with new paients registering in their dozens each day. They treat paients with HIV, pneumonia etc. Even
though it is basic, it has made a signiicant diference to the lives of many people who are extremely poor and
deprived of all material goods.
We saw extreme poverty in this area. Men, women and children were dressed in threadbare clothes and
many without shoes. The children especially were so happy to see us.
The following morning we went to a Palm Sunday procession which for me was one of the highlights
of the trip. Everyone met at the High Court for the blessing of the palms. This was followed by a procession
to the various churches with singing and dancing taking place along the way. During the service everybody
paricipated by singing and dancing. This is where we, the Gonzaga boys, discovered we had no rhythm and the
locals found us very amusing. Everywhere we went we were warmly welcomed despite the fact we were the
only white people in the area.
Before leaving Lusaka, we headed to the supermarket to get our supplies of food for the two weeks ahead.
We cleared the shelves of cereals, pastas, rice, biscuits and everything that’s needed to ill young teenage boys.
The majority of people living in this area are impoverished, have no electricity, running water and are
deprived of basic housing. Many are vicims of AIDS and the average life expectancy is 39. Yet it is not the
poverty or the deprivaion which is at the forefront of my memory; what I recall mostly is the warmth and
good humour of the people, the acceptance of all life may bring. I’ve never seen so many smiling faces.
Ciaran Ryan
5th Year
Facing page: villagers celebrate the completion of house building, and, below, Gonzaga boys engaged in construction
Ater travelling for several hours, we arrived in Lusaka, Zambia in the early hours of Saturday morning on the
27th March.
The irst thing I noiced was a disincive smell and of course, the humidity. While in Lusaka, we visited
the Neri Clinic which is an Irish run charity that has been supported by Gonzaga College SJ. This is a very busy
clinic with new paients registering in their dozens each day. They treat paients with HIV, pneumonia etc. Even
though it is basic, it has made a signiicant diference to the lives of many people who are extremely poor and
deprived of all material goods.
We saw extreme poverty in this area. Men, women and children were dressed in threadbare clothes and
many without shoes. The children especially were so happy to see us.
The following morning we went to a Palm Sunday procession which for me was one of the highlights
of the trip. Everyone met at the High Court for the blessing of the palms. This was followed by a procession
to the various churches with singing and dancing taking place along the way. During the service everybody
paricipated by singing and dancing. This is where we, the Gonzaga boys, discovered we had no rhythm and the
locals found us very amusing. Everywhere we went we were warmly welcomed despite the fact we were the
only white people in the area.
Before leaving Lusaka, we headed to the supermarket to get our supplies of food for the two weeks ahead.
We cleared the shelves of cereals, pastas, rice, biscuits and everything that’s needed to ill young teenage boys.
The majority of people living in this area are impoverished, have no electricity, running water and are
deprived of basic housing. Many are vicims of AIDS and the average life expectancy is 39. Yet it is not the
poverty or the deprivaion which is at the forefront of my memory; what I recall mostly is the warmth and
good humour of the people, the acceptance of all life may bring. I’ve never seen so many smiling faces.
Ciaran Ryan
5th Year
Facing page: villagers celebrate the completion of house building, and, below, Gonzaga boys engaged in construction
